LONDON, Jan 22 (KUNA) -- The British Defense Ministry said on Thursday that its Air Chief Marshal Sir John Stringer has been appointed as NATO's Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR), the most senior UK role in the alliance as well as the first Briton to hold the position since 1984.
Secretary of State for Defense, John Healey stated, "Air Chief Marshal Johnny's deep experience in NATO, including commanding the Allied Air Command, makes him the right person to help lead the alliance." "We need to meet this era of increasing threats with hard power, strong alliances and sure diplomacy and that is exactly what NATO represents. This is the UK's NATO-first approach in action," he added.
For his part, Air Chief Marshal Stringer said, "It is a great privilege to have been appointed as NATO's Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe, this is a critical time for the defense and security of Europe and the North Atlantic, deterring those who would do us harm and keeping the 1 billion citizens of NATO nations safe." The Deputy Supreme Allied Commander of Europe serves as the second-in-command and concurrently as the deputy head of Allied Command Operations. (end) gta.bb